Commelina reflexa Rusby (1934: 50)

Hassemer, Gustavo, 2018, Typification of five neotropical species of Commelina (Commelinaceae), Phytotaxa 350 (1), pp. 15-23 : 17

Commelina reflexa Rusby (1934: 50)

Type (lectotype, designated here):— BOLIVIA. LA PAZ: road from Okara to Ancoma, alt. 11000 feet, 29 April 1926, G. H. H. Tate 847 ( NY barcode 00247428!; isolectotype NY barcode 00247427!). Fig. 5 .

Notes:— The protologue of Commelina reflexa provided the following information on the original material: “ First collected by O. E. White at Pongo de Quime , Bolivia, alt. 11,500 ft., in July, 1921 (Mulford No. 172). “Growing in full sunshine, about 12 inches high, the flowers blue.” Collected by G. H. H. Tate on the road from Okara to Ancona, alt. 11,000 ft., April 29, 1926 (No. 847)”. I was able to locate three syntypes, all at NY: barcodes 00247427 and 00247428 ( G. H. H. Tate 847), and 00658742 ( O. E. White 172) ; all these specimens are in accordance with the morphological information provided in the protologue. All things considered, I designate the specimen NY barcode 00247428 ( Fig. 5 ) as lectotype of C. reflexa , because this is the best specimen among the available syntypes. This species was described from Bolivia, and to this date its distribution and conservation status are not clear, thus warranting urgent taxonomic studies.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Lectotype of Commelina reflexa (G.H.H.Tate 847, NY-00247428).Image courtesy of the Williamand Lynda Steere Herbarium of The New York Botanical Garden.